Cliff Mountain

Don’t end your hike with a parking ticket

To avoid congestion and potentially dangerous situations, parking on the shoulder of Route 73 between Chapel Pond and the Rooster Comb trailhead is off limits. Parking on the shoulder of the road near the Cascade Mountain trailhead is also off limits. Shuttles are available. read more

Cliff Mountain

Hike Features

Cliff Mountain is one of the High Peaks most people don’t look forward to doing and often-times gets left until last when working on the Adirondack 46. While the views are decent along the climb, the approach to the climb is very demanding. Cliff sits back behind Mount Marcy and requires a long approach, then a hike through an exceptional mud pit, then up the cliff face which is extremely steep and in many situations slippery.

Cliff, while due to tradition, is a 46er peak; it does not crest 4000’ in elevation. New surveying practices have found it to be a bit short, but who’s counting. This Adirondack 46 High Peak is number 44 on the list and is definitely a hike only for those working on their "list".

We recommend you pick up a guide book for more in depth detail or hire a local guide to assist you.

Trailhead: Leave Lake Placid on Route 73, follow Route 73 toward Keene. Continue for about 3 miles to Adirondack Loj Road on the right. Follow Adirondack Loj Road for to its end at Heart Lake and park in the main parking lot. Small parking fees will be required.

This is an approximate 8 mile hike, one way. From the Loj follow the hikers approach trail to the High Peaks that leads to Marcy Dam. From Marcy Dam you will need to follow the trail to Avalanche Camp an then left toward Lake Arnold. At Lake Arnold you will stay left and continue to climb to the top of the pass and descend for a bit into the valley. After a sometimes wet hike through the valley over log bridges and around beaver activity you will pass by Feldspar Lean-to. 0.1 miles past the lean-to is a major T-intersection. Left leads up to Four-Corners, south of Mount Marcy. Right leads to Uphill, the start of the herd-path.

Heading right you will have a moderate, but often wet hike to the Uphill Lean-to. The herd-path is directly across the trail from the lean-to, marked by a cairn. This herd-path is also the start of the Redfield Route. The Cliff Route is slightly up the joined herd-path and leaves right. At this point you will have to navigate through the muck and mire to the base of the cliff. Once over the Cliff don’t be fooled into stopping at the next highest point, this is a false summit, drop a bit and finish the climb to the true summit. Views are a bit lacking from the summit, so take in the nice ones along the steep climb.

16+ miles RT, challenging, Elevation: 3960’ Ascent: 2160'

Family with Young Kids: Not recommended

Experienced Hiker: 4 to 5 hours to summit, Out of Shape Hiker: Not recommended